Four influential Democrats urged Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski to take regulatory action to preserve the openness of the Internet.

The Federal Communications Commission suspended its series of private talks with stakeholders to write a narrowly focused telecommunications bill that could be fast-tracked through Congress this fall and an influential Democratic senator conceded that without a consensus, advancing a near-term bill is now "unlikely."

Members introduce bills to prevent the commission from selling companies access to communications spectrum that public safety organizations say they need.

Republican anger over Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski's proposal last week to subject broadband service to increased regulation has boiled over into legislative efforts to stall or block him.